What are the legal implications of living together before marriage?

In Washington, living together before marriage can have both legal and monetary implications depending on the circumstances. Legally, couples who choose to live together before marriage are not subject to the same laws that married couples are. Therefore, if they separate, they will not have access to the same legal rights and protections that married couples do when they want to dissolve the relationship. That means that, in Washington state, unmarried couples who choose to separate must use other legal processes to divide their property, determine financial responsibility, and set arrangements for children, if applicable. Monetarily, living together without getting married can have implications for taxes, retirement funds, and health care. Unmarried couples who live together and share expenses may not be able to claim certain benefits or deductions on their taxes as married couples can. Additionally, unmarried couples are not able to share a retirement account or other benefits such as healthcare. It is important to note that, while living together before marriage can come with legal implications, it is not necessarily a detriment. In fact, many couples choose to live together before they marry in order to make sure they are compatible with one another, and to ensure that their relationship is built on a foundation of trust and respect.

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